If money were no object, I wouldn't live here doing all this crap. I'd be on a yacht somewhere. In the meantime, I am leaning toward the L4600. I'll keep you posted. Barlow Equipment would only save me about $1500 by the time it was delivered so if the dealer will drop 1/2 way ($750), I'll buy local and support a local family business.
Tractor Sizing Kubota L3800 -vs- L4600 For Stumping Etc.
- Thread starter Konabrian
- Start date
Piston
Elite Member
Brian,
Are you planning on getting a FEL grapple?
I do think you'd be happier with the larger 4600 over the 3800, and I don't think you'd notice any inconvenience with the larger size, for close in work.
Are you planning on getting a FEL grapple?
I do think you'd be happier with the larger 4600 over the 3800, and I don't think you'd notice any inconvenience with the larger size, for close in work.
If we go with the 4600, I doubt we'd get the grapple, unless we found a used one on Craigslist or something. We've got land for sale (moves slowly in Vermont) and a 4-unit apt. house to raise some cash.
We have on old logging road that needs a lot of cleanup and one of the "retired" main branches of the VAST snowmobile trail goes straight up through the middle of our 35 acres so I have a nice, wide beginning. I'll clear "finger" roads off that to get out the firewood and improve the forest. We're in the Current Use Land Conservation Program so I am improving woodlot management as well as birding habitat.
With the 4600, I'd simply make wider paths. I hope!
Piston, now that's an educational post with the links etc! Thank you very much.
In my situation, the vast majority of the trees are maples, birches and a lot of ash. Very large trees. the majority of them are even a challenge for my Husqvarna saw and when blocked up to 18", I can barely lift them onto the splitter until they've dried out a bit. The grapple would certainly be well-advised for a good 70% of the trees we'll clear.
What I'm beginning to think about is that I can't do everything and buy ALL the attachments upfront. My wife & I will make a list of ALL the tasks we can think of for the next 5 years (the %0 finance terms) and purchase only those that achieve the ones we prioritize & fit the monthly budget.. Then we can move to stage two down the road.
In my situation, the vast majority of the trees are maples, birches and a lot of ash. Very large trees. the majority of them are even a challenge for my Husqvarna saw and when blocked up to 18", I can barely lift them onto the splitter until they've dried out a bit. The grapple would certainly be well-advised for a good 70% of the trees we'll clear.
What I'm beginning to think about is that I can't do everything and buy ALL the attachments upfront. My wife & I will make a list of ALL the tasks we can think of for the next 5 years (the %0 finance terms) and purchase only those that achieve the ones we prioritize & fit the monthly budget.. Then we can move to stage two down the road.
dave9652
Member
If it were me, I would rent a track loader and clear what you need...It may sound like fun and an easy task to clear land, but it becomes real old, real fast. Clearing brush and stumps take a lot of horsepower and traction....Butting trees with a Tonka toy that is not designed for such will be a nightmare and dangerous...Once the rough work is done, you can use your new tractor to clear the light leftovers. Some may say a dozer is better, but I can do what a dozer can do with my loader, its just a little less push
GManBart
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
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- 4,967
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- Detroit, Michigan
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson 241, Kubota SVL90-2
Wow....just wow!
Piston
Elite Member
dave9652
Member
I post there to......I think we have some kind of dysfunctional affliction......Wife says I never grew up.. When I bought the track loader..first thing she said "What are you going to do with that thing",, She just doesn't understand. Wish I had some neighbors like you folks on here.. man could we make a mess real quick
GManBart
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
- Messages
- 4,967
- Location
- Detroit, Michigan
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson 241, Kubota SVL90-2
Making the list of tasks is a really good way to figure out where you need to put your time, and money up front. That's sort of how I went about it, but I decided to buy a small, inexpensive, old tractor first, and use it for a while to get an idea of what would make a difference to me (I just sold it for a slight profit).
I'm not trying to hijack the thread, or start one of the common/infamous brand wars, but it seems that like most of us, budget is a factor, and that's influencing the machines you're looking at. I think that happens more often than not for people using them for non-commercial purposes.
If you like the size and power of the L4600, but want to be able to buy implements like the grapple, etc, up front, there are alternatives. As good as Kubotas are, they're expensive for the amount of power/weight/lifting ability you get. Yes, they've got some cool features, but when it comes down to a smaller machine, with gee whiz features, or a larger machine without them, many people can happily get by with the slightly simpler, but larger machine.
There's an equipment dealer/rental place not far from Burlington (Pete's Equipment Sales and Rentals) in Morrisville, that both rents, and sells Kioti tractors. They show a DK35SE Hydro available for $200 per day...you could try one out first hand. There also appear to be two other dealers that are closer. For what you're doing, a DK40SE Hydro would be better than the 35, but they're on the same size frame so you'd get an idea of sizing, etc. If you compare the basic pulling, powering, lifting capabilities of the DK40 to an L4600, I think you'd be surprised, and the actual price should be at least $7-8K less, which would pay for the implements you want, and probably still come in under the price of the L4600 alone. I don't own a Kioti, but I test drove them, and read a ton about them online, and they've been around enough to have a history of excellent reliability (with a longer warranty term that has no hour limit as well).
Yes, you'd give up a few cool things like HST+, but you'd be able to do the same amount of work (actually more FEL work), and have a bunch of implements up front....it's all a tradeoff.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
The L4600 does not have hst+.. it is a "standard" tractor like the L3800.. These are base models not Deluxe models.. They do not have as many features as the Kioti DK lineup.